And by the time we reach the blazing confrontation that erupts in Act Two, it’s clear that this is one for the memory books, with two remarkable actresses at the peak of their powers.

There is the magnificently regal Elizabeth l of Seana McKenna, a monarch razor-sharp in her intelligence and wit, fiercely protective of her own status and of the nation she rules, yet touchingly vulnerable.

In the other corner we find Lucy Peacock brilliantly defining the often-infuriating complexities of Mary Queen of Scots.

The Roman Catholic Mary is Elizabeth’s cousin and also her prisoner. Elizabeth has kept her incarcerated for 18 years and is on the verge of beheading her for her endless plotting against England’s throne. When the two meet, you expect fireworks — and festival artistic director Antoni Cimolino’s sterling production does not disappoint.

Given the uneven quality of the week’s two Shakespeare offerings, Romeo And Juliet and Measure For Measure, Mary Stuart thankfully reaffirms the continuing vitality of Stratford’s classical theatre mandate. It proved the high point of a weekend trio of premières that also included a sparkling revival of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit and a cringe-inducing Three Musketeers.

History tells us that the two queens never did meet, so the faceoff that provides the play’s high point was entirely the product of German playwright Friedrich Schiller’s bold imagination. But the scene asserts itself so powerfully into our consciousness that its provenance seems irrelevant.

Thanks to Cimolino’s gripping vision and Peter Oswald’s sizzling new translation, the bare thrust stage of the Tom Patterson Theatre becomes a seething inferno of political, social and religious conflict, with its two protagonists engulfed in intrigues they ultimately can’t control.

And we have some memorable intriguers here — Ben Carlson, chilling as Lord Burleigh, the ultimate political fixer; a splendid Geraint Wyn Davies too clever by half as Elizabeth’s compromised and compromising favourite, the Earl of Leicester; a slithery Ian Lake as the treacherous Mortimer. There are also the innocents trapped in the quagmire of Elizabethan politics — James Blendick, solid and sympathetic as Mary’s troubled jailer; Brian Dennehy in a splendid gnarled oak of a performance as the merciful Earl of Shrewsbury; Dylan Trowbridge as a hapless victim of Elizabeth’s schemings.

But ultimately the evening belongs to two great actresses. Peacock’s imprisoned Mary, still the pampered child obsessed with her sense of entitlement, is maddeningly self-absorbed and manipulative, yet at the end — resplendent in one of designer Eo Sharp’s sumptuous costumes — she becomes a serenely noble figure as she walks to her death. As for Elizabeth, McKenna presents us with a charismatic survivor in a world of men, agonizing over the implications of committing regicide against a sister queen, and ultimately compromising her own sturdy integrity with actions, which leave her alone and isolated at the climax.

McKenna is also on view in director Brian Bedford’s hilarious revival of Blithe Spirit, offering a performance of dotty perfection as Madame Arcati, the rumpled clairvoyant whose ventures into the spirit world unleash mayhem.

Noel Coward’s evergreen farce about a husband haunted by the ghost of his first wife joins Mary Stuart in being opening week’s only other fully realized play. Ben Carlson, a nimble purveyor of Coward’s sardonic witticisms, is terrific as the aggrieved and embattled Charles Considine. Sara Topham does comic wonders with the often thankless role of Ruth, Charles’s understandably chagrined second wife. As Elvira, Ruth’s spectral predecessor, Michelle Giroux floats around designer Simon Higlett’s opulent drawing room with a pouty, insinuating allure. Susie Burnett is a twitching delight as a tremulous maid. A winner all the way.

Sadly, however, The Three Musketeers offers no cause for celebration.

Peter Raby’s serviceable adaptation of The Alexandre Dumas swashbuckler has proven its worth in previous Stratford productions, but you wouldn’t know it from the treatment that landed soggily on the boards of the Festival Theatre on the weekend.

What to like about it? Very little. Jonathan Goad, Mike Shara and Graham Abbey are reliable performers, and they have their jaunty moments as the swashbuckling title characters — but their characters lack substance, which is perhaps understandable given the wayward nature of this production. Luke Humphrey does demonstrate a gauche charm and good presence as D’Artagnan, the country youth who aspires to become a Musketeer, but his good work is a rarity here; director Miles Potter’s lumbering treatment is more apt to bring out the worst in some of our best actors. Steven Sutcliffe’s scheming Cardinal Richelieu is a wispy nonentity. And the normally wonderful Deborah Hay, entrusted with the gift of playing that delectable villainess, Milady de Winter, delivers the kind of mannered, over-the-top performance that the guys at Monty Python used to parody. And one should perhaps be charitable and draw a veil over those performers who sound as though they’re reading their lines from a teleprompter.

In directing the play, Potter, who seems uncomfortable with the demands of the Festival Theatre stage, seems to be opting for cartoon buffoonery. In the process much of the narrative dissolves into incoherence. Considering that this is purportedly Stratford’s big family show, there are some surprising moments of unnecessary brutality. There are also lapses in taste: at one point, a religious altar materializes so that flippant and offensive use can be made of the sacramental Host and wine.

(Mary Stuart continues to May 31, Blithe Spirit to Oct. 20 and Three Musketeers to Oct. 19. Ticket information and performance schedules available at 1 800 567 1600 and stratfordfestival.ca

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Share

Stratford Festival: Two queens of the stage embody two queens of history

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.